Hospital Attack in Kyiv Shows Nowhere Is Safe for Ukraine's Children
The largest children's medical center in Ukraine was targeted during a wave of deadly missile strikes across the country. UNICEF is providing urgent assistance.
A pediatric hospital was severely damaged after a barrage of missiles fell in Ukrainian cities including Kyiv, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Sloviansk and Kramatorsk on Monday, July 8.
"We do not yet know the number of children killed or injured in these attacks. My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones," UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said in a July 8 statement.
First responders, hospital staff and volunteers worked to clear the rubble as they searched for people trapped beneath the debris.
“The attack on Okhmatdyt Hospital, the country’s largest medical center for children, is yet another brutal reminder that nowhere is safe for children in Ukraine," said Russell.
"Hospitals should be safe havens, and they are afforded a special level of protection under international law. Civilians, including children and the facilities and services they rely on, must always be protected."
UNICEF is providing emergency water and hygiene supplies to the hospital and is working with local authorities and partners to assess the needs of those affected, and stands ready to provide further assistance.
“Nearly three years since the escalation of war in Ukraine, there seems to be no end to the horror that children and their families are forced to endure," said Russell.
UNICEF will continue to work across Ukraine, including in frontline areas, to respond to the immediate needs of children and families. This includes providing lifesaving services and supplies, and mental health and psychosocial support.
More than anything, the children of Ukraine need lasting peace.
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